JMG on the Hermitix podcast

[ecosophia]

I'm back on the Hermitix podcast again, talking with host James about my forthcoming book The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power (which will be out just over a month from now' you can read more about it here and preorder it here). As usual for this topic, it's a wide-ranging conversation about magic, politics, and American society. You can tune into the podcast via James' site here, or on YouTube here. 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Another thought-provoking podcast.

You had the same predictions I did about who on the right is preparing for a presidential bid, which doesn't bode well for them. The only way Trump was able to beat the establishment was catching them off guard. Now I see constant hitpieces against these hopefuls, and people believe it because they don't realize the motive. On the other hand, there is such a huge power vacuum in the populist movement (on both sides), 2024 is going to be... "interesting".

One thing that was touched on was how Trump's energy has more or less been dissipated. What happened? I haven't felt any of the chaotic undercurrent since the Gamestop stock fun. Anecdotally, I have seen more Biden bumper stickers after the inauguration than before the election, although that's probably perception.

Lastly, on the topic of watching people watch TV. It is an indictment on our society, but not out of creative sterility or social performance (although that is also happening). I have seen many call these streams "friend simulators", and the appeal is that watchers get to hang out, in a one-sided way, with charismatic people, in what I think it is the end result of what was described in "Bowling Alone". It is baffling that book was written in 2000. Anyway, because of the lockdowns, you have an unprecedented amount of eyes watching a shrinking amount of shows being produced, so streaming has thrived in that environment.

Coincidentally, according to Wikipedia, "One Nation After Trump" credits that alienation as a factor that led to people rallying around Trump, hoping for him to revive a sense of real-world community. All roads lead to Trump, but where is the road going once you pass him?

[michaeliangray]

There is a TV show in Australia and the UK called Gogglebox. It is just people watching TV and commenting on the various TV shows. The premise sounds horrendous and maybe there is something a little wrong with me but... credit to it... it is actually ok. Mostly because it focuses on the people and not the TV programs. The programs are used as launch pads to see what other people think of various aspects of the world, and in that sense it is actually really interesting to see into the thought patterns of other people. Not really endorsing it but it could have been so much more trashy than it could have been. It also helps that it is heavily edited to keep it vaguely interesting. If it was just a stream of someone sitting there making vague comments about what is on the screen, count me completely out.

I only really catch the TV show it because my wife puts it on, otherwise I would probably skip it myself. That said the only reason we have a TV is because she wants it. ;)

[(Anonymous)]

Small addition : Finally went through the episode And I see the show got mentioned.

It is a fair analysis of the whole phenomenon. It is stupid but there is something bizarrely entertaining about the whole thing. It is better than it sounds but still dumb overall.

Fizzy Brown Sugar Water

[sothismedias]

Great interview JMG. When you started talking about Fizzy Brown Sugar Water, and advertising I thought of the album Dispepsi by Negativland, one of my favorite's.

The album starts with a soda can being opened: the click of aluminum as the tab is pressed down, the tsssh sound of carbonation being released into the air, the hissing fizz of cola. It ends with the sound of the can being crushed and thrown to the ground with a rattle and clunk. In this caffeine-fueled, densely layered and politically charged audio collage, we are taken on a ride through the billion-dollar advertising campaigns for Pepsi and Coke, the vagaries of the cola wars, celebrity endorsements, and torture. With its catchy hooks, upbeat rhythms, and memorable lyrics, Dispepsi remains a great “pop” album.

On the cover and spine of the album the title “Dispepsi” is not displayed coherently. The letters making it up were discombobulated into anagrams including "Pedissip" and "Ideppiss." A 1-800 phone number was given in the liner notes that had a recording where the proper name of the album could be heard. All this was a safeguard, albeit a thin one, against trademark infringement and the possible law suits that might ensue had they shown the actual title. Amazingly enough this is one album the copyright critics didn’t get sued for.

While there are plenty of moments of noise, weird sounds, and chaotic collusions on the record, the majority of songs are marked by strong hooks and catchy melodies that get stuck in my head as easily as the advertising jingles they mimic and mock. I am glad Negativland are engaged in subverting corporate messages. They have spent so much time denouncing the culture of advertising that they have a thorough grasp of its mentality. This psychological knowledge could have been more profitably channeled towards selling useless products but instead they spent two and a half years crafting an album that has given me countless hours of pleasure. I listened to it repeatedly just after it came out, and I still put it on a few times a year even now. When initiating new listeners to the vast territory that Negativland has explored this is an album I always start with.

“Drink It Up” paints in the greater landscape of pre-packaged beverages with lines like “when Diet Rite to me is wrong, my Country Time’s expired, my Minute Maid is an hour long, my Maxwell House won’t get my wired, when my pet milk turns on me, and my Five Alive is dead…” on through numerous other permutations. Then the triumphant chorus rings in, “and my mind just turns to Pepsi, and I think of it a lot, my Swiss Miss wasn’t pure, and Kool Aid isn’t hot, when a wall of smoothies rough me up, I’ll turn to a bigger cup of Pepsi, drink it up.” One of the main themes on the album is the use of celebrities in advertising to sell products. This starts on “Why Is this Commercial?” with the voice of Michael J. Fox saying, “Hi I’m me, I’m using this to sell you this.” It loops and repeats, lodging deep in my mind. It continues with a sample of athlete Herschel Walker and ends with a quote that Michael Jackson was paid five million dollars to star in two 90 second ads.
​
“The Greatest Taste Around” has a wonderful children’s rompous room beat as the voice of Dick Lyons, reads out fun lines like, “I got fired by my boss” and then a loudly sampled “Pepsi” interspersed, before saying “I nailed Jesus to the cross” all in a happy tone that makes me thirsty for soda. Another highlight of the album is “Aluminum or Glass: The Memo,” where the Weatherman poses as an ad exec coaching his underlings on how to shoot the perfect commercial, or what he calls “a heightened reality vignette.”

At times the music of Negativland can feel suffocating as it is so saturated with media samples. I can only imagine how painstaking the process assembling it all together was for the band, but it was certainly worth the effort. Other ambitious concept albums have floundered, this one remains strong, and its artistic statement ever more pertinent in a world flooded with competing commercial messages. Dispepsi has a smooth and satisfying finish that has yet to go flat.

The whole album is on youtube with the bands permission if anyone wants to listen to it.

As for fizzy sugar water, I prefer the not-very-advertised Moxie. Made in 1888 it's Distinctively Different! Plus the gentian root in it is really good for digestion.

Great

[cs2]

I always enjoy these, even when I disagree! Pokes holes at my arguments.

[(Anonymous)]

Have just preordered it. They give excellent service.

Also sent them a heads-up about the new state law (forgot when it takes effect) requiring all out of state sellers of physical products to pay Florida state tax, 7% at my location.

The Grey Badger.

Re: Generally good, query nevertheless

[ecosophia]

I don't know. I wish I did.

[drhooves]

Listened to the podcast this morning, while washing the dishes, which at the limits of my multi-tasking capabilities. Very good use of my time on both tasks.

A couple of thoughts that resonated with me:

"...to be successful in politics, it helps to come from the right families..." A point by JMG after commenting that there are "millions of Americans smarter than Biden". You can probably add a couple of zeros to that and still be correct.

The concept of magic rituals helping to remove/banish the unneeded material things in life. I've heard or read this many times on your podcasts, blogs, books - but the bigger, brighter light bulb finally lit up today. Well, duh. LESS is more and all that.